Movie Review Sachin: A Billion Dreams

God’s Own Account Of His Era Which Became An Exceptional Legend Of All Time

Before starting off to a journey, just like we (Indians) chant in a coordinated voice, “Bolo bajrangbali ki jai”, before starting with this movie review let’s all once scream in the highest tone, Sachiiiin. . . .Sachiiin. . . . (3 claps in a row) Sachiiiin. . . .Sachiiin. . (3 claps in a row) and so on. In this nation, cricket is not just a sport, it is rivalry and harmony too. Those who are separated by class and status, are seen in front of public screens sharing the mutual anxiety whenever our esteemed Indian team is at the front, playing for a win. What draws them from their work and shops to the TV screens, biting nails while praying for each single run and wicket? – Indianness! That unspoken bond between us and those who carry an immense pressure representing our country on the green ground before other champions from different countries. This bond is so strong that the pressure becomes mutual and the distance of miles dissolves in seconds.

Where a sport is revered as a culture, Sachin is the greatest patron to reach this sport to a prestigious position it is at today. People might have different opinions over the credit Sachin should hold to the Indian cricket, but it was him who made cricket so known to the public which ultimately led to sports channels like ESPN buy the broadcast rights from BCCI during those early years. You can either admit or deny the fact that Sachin is God of the cricket, but you cannot ignore the fact that Sachin is cricket and cricket is Sachin in India.

If you don’t relate to the thing called ‘fate’ in life, you would find it difficult to describe how just an eleven years old kid got introduced to cricket and cricket became not only a part but whole life for him since then. Whether it was being introduced to Ramakant Achrekar or Sachin’s family that was ready to make any possible offerings to make him a successful cricketer, nothing was an ordinary event that happens every other day. Because Indian parents don’t easily inspire their kids to pursue sports as a full time career from their early age itself. Everything that took place since then in his life brought him a step closer to cricket.

The person who laid the foundation of cricket in Sachin’s mind was his elder brother Ajit. As Sachin describes in his own words that although it was Sachin’s name which shone in the cricket world, but there have been no cricket match when Ajit didn’t accompany Sachin mentally on the ground. An adolescent who the contemporary established Pakistani cricketers mocked for his age proved in his second match only that not age but his perseverance for cricket makes for his identity. When famous cricketers of that time used to flaunt their fame, this 16-17 year old only focussed on his game without thinking of anything else in the world. Another attribution which is why Sachin is the God of cricket is gems like Virender Sehwag & Virat Kohli who knew only Sachin as the definition of cricket and landed on Indian team by following only his footsteps.

We have known how Sachin made a storming start, then went through many low patches regarding his form on the ground and how he missed his dream of holding World Cup multiple times after coming an inch closer to it. But we hadn’t known how he dealt with all this as a person, what his feelings used to be when losing few matches in a row used to make people stand against him. So this film is God’s own account of his era which became an exceptional legend of all time. This film tells the little details of Sachin’s nature which are proof that Sachin is the God of cricket not only for playing exceptionally brilliant on the cricket ground but for being a humble soul he is in real life. For being a person who always ironed his own clothes and kept in his kit before every match, for a being a person who regarded his cricket tools just like his best friends, for being a husband who wanted his wife to stand by his side in thick & thin no matter what, for being a father who never let his kids feel his renown, for being a friend who never forgotten his childhood friends and for being a son who tried his everything to pass on his parents’ values to his own children.

The movie is an amalgamation of all the recorded bits related to Sachin’s profession and career, prompts by his peers and companions who have been close witness of his journey and some dramatised instances representing his early childhood. While this movie walks parallely with Sachin’s course and the contemporary world, it also reflects a pleasant picture of Mumbai and its unique environment. This instigates patriotism naturally; goosebumps and damped eyes will be there with you from the very beginning till the end of the film. The way Sachin tells his story with intrinsic innocence and decency, this aspect of the legend has to be heard by every Indian.

Sorry for a long post as holding my strong thoughts about Sachin was not easy 😛